Putnam County’s first week of advance voting for the Nov. 8 general election saw 2,163 votes cast, perhaps indicating an increased voter interest in issues surrounding a mid-term election, as opposed to candidate or party contests.
Additionally, acting elections supervisor Kimberly Rudolph said Monday afternoon, that the board of elections office had mailed out 695 absentee ballots, with 236 already returned. This suggests the state’s new elections law eliminating outside drop boxes and instituting fines upwards of $100,000 for “ballot harvesting” have so far seemed to have little effect on the practice of absentee voting here.
“We have been nothing but busy,” Rudolph said, adding that most of the advance voters so far have seemed to be older voters.
Typically, the two-decades old – and increasingly popular – advance voting technique has attracted a strong turnout of decided voters during the first day or two and then tails off afterwards. However, in this election, the first week has seen a steady flow of about 350 voters a day. The convenience of shorter lines at the time of the voter’s choosing no doubt plays a role as well.
The liberalized absentee voting technique – it once almost needed a doctor’s excuse, then an age allowance was added, and finally “no excuse needed” – also had its day in the sun two years ago during the June 2020 presidential preference primaries. A couple of the county’s five precincts saw almost half their voters using the absentee ballots during the initial Covid pandemic scare.
For this election, Putnam has 15,854 registered “active” voters, with another 1,334 “inactive” voters eligible – if they show up. Active voters are those who have voted at least once in the last two general election cycles.
Inactive voters are those who have not voted in the last two general election cycles. Typically, most on this list involve deaths for which the elections board has no record or movement out of the county without registering elsewhere.
The third method for voting is the traditional election day voting, still favored by many and to be held Nov. 8, at the five precincts. The five precincts include 101 at the board of elections office in the county administration offices of U.S. 441 North, 104 at the old water works building off Sumter Street, 105 at the Lutheran church of Ga. 44, 106 at the Crooked Creek community building, and 107 at the Lakeside Baptist Church off U.S.441 South.